WSUP is making a difference to the lives of the urban poor - Briena's story

Jan 2012

Mozambique

Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor
(WSUP) are working in a number of cities
in Africa to improve the water, sanitation
and hygiene conditions for the urban poor.
Borouge and Borealis became members of
WSUP in 2007 as part of their “Water for the
World” initiative in order to help them make a
real difference to these people’s lives.

This is Briena’s story, where the eleven
year old school girl explains how the
improvements to the school sanitation
facilities under the WSUP supported
Tchemulane project have impacted her life.
She now feels relaxed and concentrates
better in lessons in the knowledge that she
can go to the toilet when she needs to and
is able to wash her hands afterwards and no
longer fears becoming sick.

Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP)
is a partnership between the private sector, civil
society and academia focussed on addressing
the increasing global problem of inadequate
access to water and sanitation for the urban
poor and the attainment of the Millennium
Development Goal targets, particularly those
relating to water and sanitation. Borouge and
Borealis became members of WSUP in 2007
as part of their “Water for the World” initiative
in order to help them make a real difference to
these people’s lives.

Each day 180,000 people migrate to the large
cities around the world and by 2030, it is
estimated that 60% of the world’s population will
live in urban areas. WSUP are working with local
service providers, both public and private, to
improve the life of those living in poor conditions
in a number of cities in Africa – in this article
eleven year old Briena explains the impact that
their work has had on her life.

Poor sanitation was seriously effecting Briena’s education

Briena is a student at the local Primary School
in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in
Maputo, the capital of Mozambique in south
east Africa. The school, which was opened
in 1975, is attended by over 4,500 students
in two shifts. Following a detailed survey and
assessment, the WSUP supported Tchemulane
project selected the school as a demonstration
programme to improve the existing sanitation
facilities and establish sustainable operation and
management services.
The toilet facilities at the school were very poor
which was effecting Briena’s education, as she
explained:

“

The toilets at school have always
been bad. There was an awful smell, they were
always very dirty and we didn’t have a reliable
water supply.

Briena —Student at the local Primary School

"Many students urinated and defecated outside. I have been a student at this school for 7 years but, until recently, I had never used the facilities. When I needed the toilet, I would leave school and go to a friend’s house. I didn’t use the school toilets because I was afraid of getting sick. Sometimes I would have to wait a long time before going to the toilet, but I preferred to suffer than go to the school toilets. We didn’t have a regular water supply at school. We just had one tap which was used by all the students and the cleaning staff. We had to wait in a queue and fight to get water to drink. The water supply was unreliable and sometimes it was cut so the students attending the afternoon shift would have to go without water."

The WSUP project will make a real difference

Things are much better following the project
as Briena explains:

"We are no longer afraid to
use the toilets because they are kept clean and
they don’t smell bad. They are cleaned by staff
at least once in the morning period. I have no
problem asking the teacher if I can go to the
toilet and I don’t have to leave lessons to go to
my friend’s house."

“

We have a proper place to
wash our hands after using the toilet. We also
have two more taps with regular water supply
so we don’t have to fight to get water anymore.

Briena —Student at the local Primary School

“We are very happy with the improvement of
our sanitation facilities and water supply. With
these improvements, I hope that we will avoid
the transmission of diseases such as diarrhoea
and cholera and improve the health of all the
students at the school. I think my education
will improve as a result of the new facilities. I no
longer have to wait for a long time without going
to the toilet or miss out on teaching time to go
to the toilet at my friend’s house. Now, when I
come to school, I feel relaxed and concentrate
better in lessons. When I need to go to the toilet,
I ask the teacher, I go, and I am able to wash my
hands afterwards.”